A power lawn rake is well known in the prior art. One example is described and claimed in the co-pending application Ser. No. 408,483, filed Aug. 16, 1982 for a "Power Lawn Rake" now U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,681 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In this co-pending application, the power lawn rake generally comprises a frame including a pair of side housings, a deflector box mounted therebetween, a rotor having a rotor shaft journaled in the side housings forwardly of the deflector box, a plurality of ground-engaging spring fingers or tines positioned on the rotor shaft, the tines being arranged in a helical formation along the axis of the shaft, a removable plastic bin forwardly of the rotor for receiving the dead leaves, grass clippings and other debris picked up by the tines on the rotor, respective forward and rearward wheel means on the frame, and a suitable handle for guiding the power rake over the lawn.
Moreover, in the aforesaid pending application, each of the spring tines comprises a coil spring portion and a spring finger extending radially therefrom and having a bent end portion for engaging the ground. Each of the tines is carried by a respective bracket, which preferably is integrally molded. Each bracket has a central sleeve portion for slipping the bracket over the end of the rotor shaft. Each bracket further has an integral pin, parallel to its sleeve portion, and radially thereof. The coil portion of each spring tine is mounted on the pin of its respective bracket. The end of each pin is received in a pocket formed within the next adjacent bracket on the rotor shaft, and the pocket on each bracket is disposed eccentrically in relation to its respective pin. With this arrangement, the brackets are axially stacked on the rotor shaft but are staggered circumferentially with respect to each other. Since the coil spring portions of the tines are carried by the integral pins on the respective brackets, the tines are arranged in a helical formation axially of the rotor shaft. The degree of eccentricity between adjacent tines may be expressed by an angle .theta. , where EQU .theta.=360 degrees/number of tines
In addition, suitable means are provided for clamping the brackets against endwise movement on the rotor shaft and for coupling the brackets to the shaft for conjoint rotation, thereby driving the tines.
While this rotor comb construction is entirely satisfactory for the purposes intended, it is not readily adaptable to automated assembly of the rotor.